Left of Forever is a second chance romance, the divorced version. Ellis and Wren take a road trip to drop off their son to college, and to see if the fire is really gone after 5 years apart. The playfulness between the two is the kind only those who have known each other since they were kids could know, but they pull their punches because they’ve been there before and they don’t know if they should go back. It was a constant push and pull, of will they or won’t they. Imagine calling your ex “honey” or “baby” as a little game to see who sweats first. We see the dual POV and we’re screaming at our book the whole way through. Ellis and Wren are two people who have known each other their whole lives getting to know each other again, but this time with more honesty, understanding, and grace.

As a 30+ year old, I always find it refreshing to see characters my age in romances. Although I don’t relate to being divorced with a kid, I do relate to growing up and growing apart from others, to how hard it is to find your people the older you get, and just navigating life as an adult cosplaying as an adult who knows what they’re doing.

This book was a great representation of finding your person, finding your home, and finding the courage to try again.

Rating: ♾️⭐️
Spice: Open Door, 🌶️ 🌶️
Media: 🎧/ eARC

This book came for my soul. I can't express how much I felt reading Wren (FMC) and Ellis's (MMC) story. A few chapters in and I was crying. Tarah DeWitt has this way of capturing love; the yearning, the vulnerability, and the wanting to be accepted. It's how she weaves her words to capture the raw ache and desire to be loved.

I was excited for Wren and Ellis's story, so excited that I procrastinated reading their story because I just knew it would wreck me. I wasn't wrong. I've been Team Ellis since he said" She's still a Byrd," in Savor It. Once we got his POV in the first few chapters, I was a goner. I think every chapter I highlighted something from Ellis that made me cry, the man was so down bad. All the work Ellis put in, I could not love him anymore. And then Wren, I loved how independent and strong and authentic her character was. It was an amazing exploration into marriage, a palpable introspection on how love can change and grow or lose its way. There were so many moments I connected with the characters from understanding Ellis's sense of responsibility as the oldest sibling to Wren protecting her heart to their fighting for their love. It was such a sincere and open portrayal of marriage. Relationships aren't always perfect and that's okay but how do you work through it to keep it alive?

There were so many additional elements that I loved; the letter writing, the road trip, and the scheming family members. The pining and yearning were top tier. The little snippets into other characters lives in the book were so fun to read. The adventures in the road trip were so wholesome and the questions and Ellis's answers, the entire emotional journey was incredible and nuanced. The Byrds are perfect. My brain permanently resides in Spunes, Oregon. I love Silas and I need more of him in my life. Honestly, when I finished this book, my first thought was this is how you write a romance novel.

This is one of my top reads of 2025. It was beautifully written and heartwrenching.

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

My absolute favorite second chance romance ever!! Seriously THIS BOOK 🥹 a new all time favorite. I could tell just a few pages in that I was going to love this one. The letters they sent 🧡 ugh so romantic. I loved their characters individually. But together they were truly perfect. I felt that their issues were completely relatable. Tarah touched on some very emotional topics. It was written beautifully. I recently read Savor It and I loved that one as well and I was so grateful I didn’t have to wait to hear Ellis and Wren’s story. Because as good as Savor It is, this was better! I admired how dedicated Ellis is to his family. Their love story felt very real and raw. The journey to finding their way back to each other made me swoon, cry and laugh. Everything I want from a romance book. I listened to this on audio and the emotions were portrayed so perfectly!! You could hear the yearning in their voices. I loved it 🧡

At some point, when I was reading this beautiful second chance romance, I started thinking about the reasons why I’m drawn to the romance genre so much. I’m almost exclusively a romance reader and the reason started to slowly dawn on me the deeper I got into the book. Romance is that rare genre built on the premise of hope. Think about it. You have two or more characters, human or otherwise, searching for something, whether it be someone to call their own or a place to belong to, a community to be a part of, and that journey always begins with the idea of hope, that there’s something better out there, worth risking their heart for. Hope is what helps us face the day, allows us to get through the worst of times with the expectation – the hope – that better days are ahead.

Nowhere is this idea of hope so brilliantly illustrated than in this book, a poignant, heartachingly tender second chance romance between the once married Wren and Ellis Byrd who, five years post-divorce, are beginning to realize that they might still be harboring feelings for each other.

The two married young, when an unplanned teen pregnancy forces them to grow up far quicker than anticipated. Although, the argument could be made that Ellis, a firefighter who lost his mom as a child and essentially was tasked with raising his younger siblings, has always been a grown up. For a while things are good and even while struggling with all the responsibilities thrust upon them, Wren, a baker, and Ellis, muddle through, deeply in love and committed to being the best parents they can be.

Unfortunately though, real life is hard and sometimes, even the love you’ve had for the boy you’ve known all your life isn’t quite enough and Wren asks for a divorce and Ellis is all too willing to comply. There’s bitterness and resentment compounded by infertility, an ectopic pregnancy resulting in emergency surgery for Wren, parental health issues, and pretty soon, the metaphorical house that Wren and Ellis built so painstakingly comes crumbling down.

Cut to present day and the two are on the cusp of becoming empty nesters when Sam, their only child, is about to graduate high school and go off to college. Ellis has come to realize through a series of events that he is still deeply in love with his ex-wife and convinces her to go on a road trip with him, one part celebration for successfully coparenting their son and sending him off to college and one part a journey to see whether they might have a second chance at getting it right.

What follows is a jouney of healing, of opening up, revealing their deepest hurts and laying themselves bare, both figuratively and literally. There is sex (whoa, these two have some seriously hot sex), but the sex is so very emotionally initmate that at times, I felt like I was peeking in on something I shouldn’t be. The trip is both hilarious and heartwarming, and Ellis and Wren have to come to terms with the mistakes of the past before they can commit to a future together.

One of the best things about this book aside from the two MCs and the glorious romance unfolding between them, are the side characters, specifically Ellis’ siblings and Wren’s mom and their son, who are all incredibly nosy and well-meaning and highly invested in the outcome of this road trip. What I really love is that even with the two of them divorced, their extended family have remained a part of both their lives. Wren spends holidays with Ellis and his siblings, Ellis helps his former mother-in-law with her yard work, this is a tight knit bond that has not dissipated with the dissolution of their marriage.

And in fact, their family is so invested that a trip that starts off with separate hotel rooms quickly devolves into situations with only one cabin with only one bed and only one tent. There’s an entire community of loving friends and family urging them on but only Wren and Ellis get the final say on how their relationship evolves. The ending is so sweet and lovely and tender, it honestly made me a little emotional reading it.

This is ultimately a beautiful romance about two people who had every reason to lose all hope and yet…all it took was the tiniest spark of hope to build into a flame that could just last for whatever is left of forever.

Content Notes: reproductive health issues, mentions of grief, mentions of therapy, parental loss, burn injuries, mentions of hospitalization

Left of Forever is book two Tarah DeWitt’s Spunes series but it is not necessary to read Savor It (book one) first.

I am a sucker for second chance romance!! I was so invested in Ellis & Wren’s relationship. They had so much chemistry and you could just feel the love they still had for each other. After Wren kissed him for the first time and Ellis said “She’s kissing me. Her lips are on mine after five long years. Five hundred years. She’s kissing me. I’m home.” I was done for. Ellis had me swooning right along with Wren for the entire book. There are so many other moments that I could quote but for the sake of time (and the length of this review lol) I’ll limit it to just that one.

My only complaint was that the beginning stuff ( the letters to be exact) almost felt like it was out of place almost (if that makes sense?). Like it was just extra content we didn’t really need. I liked the little bit of background it provided and that they wrapped it up by adopting the horses at the end but I felt as though the story didn’t really need it. It just created unnecessary drama while they were camping that was immediately wrapped up on the next page. Not to mention that there is no way Wren didn’t recognize Ellis’ handwriting after being married for as long as they were (not to mention that they were friends long before they started dating so I find it very hard to believe she didn’t recognize his handwriting).

Overall I really really enjoyed Left of Forever and I am looking forward to reading Savor It and whatever comes next in the world of Spunes. Looking forward to rereading this one too!!


Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you're a sucker for second-chance marriage romances like I am, this is the book you've been waiting for. It follows two high school sweethearts who, after years of growing apart, find themselves strangers under the same roof. But a road trip — the one they should have taken years ago — becomes the turning point that brings them back to each other.

It's tender, heartfelt, and full of those quiet moments that make your chest ache in the best way. The chemistry, the history, the what could’ve been — it’s all here, and it’s done so beautifully. This is everything you want in a second-chance story, especially one rooted in marriage rather than new love.

I honestly can't say much more without spoiling it, but just trust me: GO READ THIS ONE. This trope is rare and precious, and this book absolutely nails it.

This is my first time reading anything from DeWitt and I completely get the hype. I’m not someone that looks for second chance romances because I feel that they often leave much to be desired but I believe DeWitt nailed it. She managed how incandescent the yearning was, how lingering and overwhelming it was. The chemistry between Wren and Ellis was white hot but also sweet. Their separation makes so much sense.

I’ve kind of soured on contemporary romance these days because DeWitt and Danielle Allen definitely give me hope.

This was heart-wrenching, beautiful, sweet, and so sexy. What a wonderful read. I can’t wait for everyone to read this!

I am going to need every second chance romance written by Tarah Dewitt!

The angst and attraction between our main characters Wren and Ellis was EVERYTHING. I am always looking for a good second chance romance and this delivered. I loved how fast this book captivated my attention and how invested I was on the characters from the very start. All characters are very likable and relatable which is always important to me when I pick up a book. I also loved that the characters face very realistic obstacles in their relationship that life throws at all of us. Finally, I really liked the that the book highlights the importance of taking care of our mental health and how that benefits every aspect of our relationships.

The only reason it lost a star for me it’s because I thought the ending was slightly underwhelming. I felt like I was in a high and then just felt flat. I still LOVED the story though and thought the love story was so unique. I had the best time reading this and will always recommend it!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a free eARC.

Another Tarah Dewitt smash hit

Heartwarming and horny with a devastating emotional punch

As with every Tarah Dewitt book, while it starts off slow with a lot of setup and character building, this book has such an emotional back half with such endearing characters. Her books are always heartwrenching, sweet, and full of love, but this one specifically felt so much deeper. I don't know what it was, but I felt so much more connected to Wren and Ellis than any of her other characters. The pure free-falling bliss of these two coming back together at the end was so beautiful and unique, and I can't stop crying thinking about it.

Ellis Byrd is my dream man. I love these two so, so much. This is Tarah's best work yet.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Book: Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt @authortarahdewitt
Genre: Romance
Pub Date: May 20, 2025

I absolutely adored this book!! Left of Forever is one of those second chance romances that makes you feel everything—heartbreak, and so much hope. Wren and Ellis were high school sweethearts, had their son as teenagers, and eventually divorced. But life keeps pulling them back to each other. When their son heads off to college, a road trip becomes the spark that might just rewrite their story.

This book felt beautifully grounded in real life and real love. Tarah DeWitt writes with such emotional honesty—every look, every silence, every tender moment between Wren and Ellis hit me right in the heart. Their history added so much weight to their romance, and watching them navigate grief, growth, and intimacy after years apart was genuinely moving. And yes… I cried (more than once). The slow burn was worth every second, and getting glimpses of familiar faces in Spunes made it feel like coming home. If you love emotional second chance romances with heart, depth, and characters who yearn, this book is not to be missed.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspressSt. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin for sending me this lovely eARC in exchange for my honest

#LeftofForever #netgalley #arc #arcreview

“We have whatever’s left of forever, you and me.” ❤️‍🩹🏕️✍🏼🗺️

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt has to be the BEST second chance romance I have ever read in my life!

If you know me, you know I rarely cry with books. Well, I sobbed my way through the last 36% of this book. This book finished me! I’m still at the restaurant sobbing into a baked Brie with jalapeño jelly and herbed crostini. 😭

This book completely altered my brain chemistry and my soul. Wren and Ellis’s story is so heartbreaking, filled with vulnerability, rawness, and so much tension. Weaved within all of that is banter that will make you laugh, moments that will make you swoon, and conversations that will make you cry tears of happiness.

If you want a captivating and unputdownable book that grips you from the very beginning, this book is it!

– second chance romance (after divorce)
– divorced couple (they still love each other)
– LOTS OF YEARNING
– the Byrd family (the best!)
– mildly chaotic roadtrip
– beautiful slow burn romance

In the second interconnected standalone set in the world of Spunes, OR, we follow Ellis and Wren. The pair had their son fairly young and were soon married until eventually divorce became inevitable. Now it is years later and their son, Sam, is going off to college. Ellis convinces Wren to take a roadtrip with him, after they drop their son off at college, in hopes of rekindling their past relationship. Wren agrees and the two embark on an emotional journey where they must confront their past to maintain their future.

Ugh. THIS is how you do a second chance romance. I enjoyed Savor It, but I LOVED this book. It's so clear that Wren and Ellis never got over each other. However, this book highlights how marriage is about so much more than loving someone. It's work and continual maintenance and most importantly, communication. Ellis and Wren have to hash out all the ugly parts of themselves, but what they have in the end is so beautiful. This book had me laughing, swooning, and all in the feels. Phenomenal book!

When I read Savor It, I could not wait for Ellis and Wren’s story. Their banter in Savor It was top notch. But unfortunately Left of Forever was lacking the banter I was so ready for. I still loved their story and the emotion was so well written but I just wanted to have a little more fun with their reconnection story more than I did.

This book wrecked me in the best way. Wren and Ellis's story is a deeply emotional, gorgeously written second-chance romance about love lost—and found again—after years of heartache, growing pains, and quiet longing.

The dynamic between them is tender and raw. You can feel the weight of their shared history in every conversation and stolen glance. Their road trip back to Spunes felt like so much more than a physical journey—it was a vulnerable, soul-searching exploration of whether love can be rebuilt when life has already burned everything to the ground.

The coastal setting was stunning, the emotional stakes were high, and the slow burn was so satisfying. This is a love story for anyone who’s ever wondered, What if? and hoped for one more chance. Full of depth, healing, and just the right amount of angst—this one stays with you.

Tarah Dewitt amazes me with her versatility. All of her Romances are unique (sometimes hilarious, sometimes more lighthearted), and this one is special for its look at a long-term relationship, and its ups and downs. I loved it.

Ellis and Wren have been divorced for five years, but before that they were teenage loves, first loves, and also teenage parents. They went through a traumatic pregnancy and loss together. They had trouble communicating with each other, and then they lost each other. I loved the way this book began with Ellis and Wren's letters to one another. I loved Ellis' steadfast care for Wren. He may not have always been perfect, but he tries SO HARD now, and it's beautiful to read. One aspect of this book that really made me feel so heartened was that while there was some uncertainty, there wasn't a third act breakup, and I KNEW that it would have a happy ending. I just felt so cared for. If you're looking for something super cozy (yes there is great sex in this book too), I highly recommend this book.

hey so this was one of the best books I’ve ever read, one of the greatest second chance romances EVER, & by far Tarah’s best book. I know she put her everything into it because I COULD FEEL IT COMING OFF THE PAGES. I can’t even begin to describe the amazingness of this book. THERE ARE NO NOTES. The Byrds mean everything to me 😭😭😭

I RARELY CRY DURING BOOKS AND I CRIED MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THE ENTIRE LAST CHAPTER HAD TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE. My brain chemistry has been altered and I never want to go back.

It was heart wrenching, it was thoughtful, it was romantic, it was hot, it was swoony, it was hilarious, it was literally everything. Wren and Ellis were truly two of my favorite fictional characters & I’ll never get over them.

A couple that got pregnant in their teens then married & divorced are given a second chance at potentially rekindling their relationship after fate gets to them in one of the best ways!!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Type: audio

Tropes:
Second chance
Forced proximity
Road trip
Small town
Found family
Childhood friends to lovers
Marriage in crisis vibes

If Savor It was the scrumptious meal, Left Of Forever is the decadent dessert! I am simply obsessed with Tarah DeWitt's writing!

There was a magnetic pull towards Wren and Ellis the whole time I read Savor It; I yearned to know their story and was desperate for them to get the HEA they deserved. Let me tell you, Left Of Forever more than exceeded any expectations I could have dreamt up!

I'm pretty sure Ellis's DNA speech altered me! He is book boyfriend gold! And Wren is a beautiful soul who guarded her wounded wing until she was finally able to sore once again.

I slowly melted into this book as the story subtly took hold of me. Before I knew it, I was 80% deep, had already cried, and was on the verge of tears all over again - desperate for the ending, but not wanting it to finish. The way I bawled as this book came to its conclusion!!! I could not contain my happy tears as I bore witness to this redeeming love story and some very special moments for the characters of Spunes, Washington!

More thoughts:
-Indy will grow up with two of the very best female influences (and it would be so cool to see her story later in life)
-I am so happy for Fisher and Sage and the whole damn town!

Megan Wicks is an audiobook narrator I didn't know I needed in my life! Her voice is rich, breathy, and powerful - perfectly matching Wren's character! All I can say about Connor Crais is that I will indeed be seeking out more books by him! How does his voice conjure the cover image of Ellis every time I hear it? Perfect narrator choices!

Simply put: I was a gonner for this book! Left Of Forever gets all the stars encompassing campfire night!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

- 𝑳𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝑫𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦
✰ 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 & 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
✰ 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
✰ 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱

If you were to ask me what my favorite book of the year was, I would say it's hands down Left of Forever.
I will never do justice to the magic this book made me feel. I laughed, I crediti, I was impatient, I was swooning, I was overwhelmed. I was feeling everything I hope to feel when I pick up a romance book... and more.
Tarah wrote the perfect second chance romance. It's messy and sweet and angsty and so so so beautiful! These kind of reads are honestly why I even read romance.
Wren and Ellis are such unique wonderful characters. She's so fierce and sweet and easy to relate to while he's charming and relatable as well. It doesn't happen that often to read about characters that feel so real. It happened with them tho.

What else I loved? The wonderful and engaging waiting. How fun it was the road trip (I like that, sue me). How the family element was done. The Byrds are one of my favorite fictional families now.
I loved watching Wren and Ellis simply reconnect and heal their broken relationship and find each other again.

If you ever trust my opinion when it comes to recommendations, then trust me on this one.

*arc kindly provided by the publisher @youhadmeathea in exchange of an honest review

✨Book Review✨

Left of Forever is book two in the Spunes, Oregon series by Tarah DeWitt. I was so fortunate to receive an ARC of this one! If you haven’t read Savor It and Left of Forever, add them to your TBR asap and thank me later 💁🏻‍♀️

This book was everything I wanted and more. I was laughing and crying all through Ellis and Wren’s journey back to each other. I don’t even have anything by else to say. This book was perfect and a total masterpiece! This might be one of the most quotable books I’ve ever read. I’m obsessed 🥰

I’m hopeful that Tarah keeps writing the stories of Spunes because I’ve fallen in love with this town and its people 🫶🏼

Book description from Goodreads

#Bookstagram #MinnesotaReader #AudiobookLover #BookReview #Minnesota#RomanceReader #BookLover #BookRec

5 ⭐️😭

This story was so good. I love letter writing, I love second chance/ex-husband/wife, I love teen parents all grown up, I love the character relationships.

I did have a very personal experience with this story as a teen mom. We have been married for nine years now and dealt with infertility - it’s hard. This book just so accurately depicted that. The importance of therapy and communication, and growth. It was all so beautiful and raw. I could feel so much emotion.

I was laughing at parts, getting emotional at others, and thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Spoiler quote incoming**

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“One day, when we’re very old and gray, one of us will open our eyes to a day that the other won’t, but we’ll smile knowing how full life has been, knowing how we spent forever.”

ARE YOU JOKING 😭😭😭😭 immediate tears.

Pub date: 5/21!!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me early access!